Mowing machine



R. CARTER MOWING MACHINE Nov. 7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March '51, 1948 mm W M mhe. mm mw Q Nov. 7, 1950 R. CARTER 2,529,328

MOWING MACHINE Filed March 31, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig": 5

IN V EN TOR.

16 1 Q MO/VD 671,975?

wwwiw Patented Nov. 7, 1950 MOWING MACHINE Raymond Carter, Wyoming, Ill.; Hazel Carter and Raymond Hugh Carter administrators of said 1 Raymond Carter, deceased Application March 31, 1948, Serial No. 18,272

8 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to mowing machines, and more particularly is directed to a mowing machine capable of being employed for cutting weeds along relatively inaccessible areas, and also capable, by means of a minor adjustment, of being used for mowing lawns and the like.

I am, of course, aware that lawn mowers of the conventional types have been provided with attachments for enabling the lawn mower to be employed for weed cutting, but these prior constructions are not entirely satisfactory, and the present invention includes several novel features not heretofore utilized.

Viewing the invention broadly, it comprises a wheeled frame having mounted thereon a suitable power plant adapted to impart rotary movement to a mandrel rigidly carried by the frame. A cutting blade is fastly secured to the mandrel and a guard protects the mandrel from the cut weeds, and this guard is suitably affixed to the frame. The forward end of the machine is provided with shoes or runners capable of vertical adjustment for raising or lowering the forward end of the machine, and the wheels of th frame are also adjustable vertically to enable the machine to be used for either cutting weeds or mowing lawns.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the character described with a guard which positively protects the mandrel for imparting rotational movement to the cutting blade from having weeds wrapped therearound as the weeds are moved across the machine after cutting.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mowing machine of the type described with adjustment devices carried by the frame whereby the running wheels may be positioned to raise the rear end of the frame and tilt the forward end of the cutting blade downwardly for efficient operation in the cutting of weeds, or maintain the frame in a substantially parallel relation with respect to the ground, whereby the blade may be used for lawn mowing purposes. 1

And still another object of the present invention is to provide a highly mobile mowing machine wherein one of the operating handles is so constructed as to enable the machin to mow very closely to a fence or other object, without subjecting the operators hand to possible injury.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the character described with a guiding rod or the like at the forward end thereof for protecting the operator and the working parts of the machine from large falling weeds and at the same time guide these weeds to fall to one side of the machine.

And yet another object of my invention is to provide a machine of the type mentioned with adjustable shoes or runners at the forward end thereof, whereby the forward end of the machine may be raised or lowered to the desired height.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a mowing machine for cutting weeds and mowing grass or the like which is relatively simple in structural detail, positive and eflicient in operation, and capable of being cheaply and inexpensively manufactured.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention and illustrating the machine in the position employed for mowing lawns.

Figure 2 is also a view in side elevation illustrating the position of the machine which is generally employed for weed cutting.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows. 7

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure 1, I have shown a fram preferably, though not necessarily, formed of longitudinally extending channels I!) suitably connected at their front and rear ends by transversely extending channels I I; A pair of ground engaging wheels I2, each of which is provided with an axle l3, cooperate with the frame for enabling it to be readily moved along the ground. A supporting base I4 is suitably bolted to the transversely extending channels I l intermediate the wheels l2, and a gasoline engine I5 is attached to the base [4 adjacent the rear end thereof. The engine is bolted to the supporting base by means of slotted apertures which will permit limited forward and rearward movement of the motor for tightening or loosening the drive belt, as will later be more fully discussed.

An angle iron assembly I6 is securely bolted to the forward end of the supporting base 14, and a vertically disposed housing ii is welded to the angle iron assembly i5. A mandrel 18 extends through the housing I7 and is provided with upper and lower bearings !9. Suitable washers 20 are provided at each end of the housing l1, and

23 and a pulley 2? carried by the drive shaft of the gasoline engine 55. Manifestly, when the engine 55 is running, the rotary movement will be transmitted to the mandrel is by virtue of the drive belt 25.

A blade bar 28 has a nut 29 are welded thereto at approximately the midpoint of the bar 23. The nut 29. is threaded onto the lower end of the mandrel i8 and is properly secured by means of a jamb nut 3s. A sickle section Ed is secured to each end of the blade bar 28 by rivets 32, al-

though a bolt and nut assembly may be employed,

if desired. The sickle sections 3| provide the cutting surfaces and may be easily and quickly changed, if the occasion arises.

To protect the mandrel from' having weeds wrapped therearound, it will be noted that a guard, designated generally 33, is formed with an arcuate front wall 34 and parallel longitudinally extending walls 35. The guard 33 is secured to the channels if) such as by welding the side walls 35 thereto, although it is to be understood that other attaching means may be employed. As shown in Figure l, the guard 33 extends upwardly to a point approximately one-half of the height of the housing and downwardly to a point adjacent the blade 23 but spaced from the sickle sections 3|. The arcuate wall 34 of the guard may be further stabilized by means of parallel rods 36 secured at one end to the wall 35 and at the opposite ends to the angle iron assembly I5, as shown at 31. A laterally extending brace 38 extends between the side walls 35 for additional supporting purposes.

To enable the forward end of the machine to be raised or lowered to the desired height, it will be noted that in Figures 1 and 3 that I have provided a pair of shoes or runners, designated generally 39. Each runner comprises a bar ii one end of which is bent to form a vertical portion H which extends downwardly in a sleeve 12 brazed or welded to the side wall 35 of the guard 33, and a set screw 43 will hold the vertical portion 4| in the desired position. The rod 4|] is provided with a horizontally extending portion 44 which extends a substantial distance forward of the sickle section 3| and is then bent downwardly and rearwardly, as shown at 45, and then horizontally, as at 46, to provide a ground engaging member. The rod 36 is then bent upwardly, as shown at 41, and extends into a sleeve 48 carried by a bracket 49 secured to the guard 33, as shown in Figure 3. A set screw 50 is also provided for the sleeve 58. Manifestly, by manipulation of the set screws 43 and '58, it is apparent that the position of the ground engaging surface 46 may be raised or lowered for raising or lowering the front end of the machine.

A weed guiding bar or the like 55 is conveniently secured to the portion 44 of the runner 39 located on the left side of the machine, and this bar extends upwardly and transversely of the guard 33 and terminates a short distance beyond the right side of the machine, as clearly shown in Figure 3. This construction is important, in

4 that the operator of the machine and also the driving parts of the machine will be protected from large falling weeds, since the rod 5| will cause them to fall to the right side of the machine.

To protect the sickle-sections 3| from striking a fence or fence post when the machine is moving closely to the fence, it will be observed that a guard 52 is provided on the left hand side of the guard 33. The guard 52 comprises a U-shaped bar 53 and the vertical arms 54 and 55 are attached to the sleeves 42 and 48. It will be noted that the horizontal portion of the guard is approximately parallel to the lower edge of the guard 33 and that the sickle sections 3| will clear the guard 52 by approximately one-quarter of an inch. While for the purpose of illustration, the blade bar 23 is of such length that the arc of travel of the sections 3| is beyond the runner 4!;4, it is to be understood that under operating conditions, the blade is of a length that the sickle sections project substantially to the edge of the runners 44.

As previously mentioned, I provide means whereby the wheels l2 may have two vertical adjustments and, to accomplish this end, it will be noted that the channels it are provided with recesses 56 of suincient dimensions to accommodate the axles |3 of the wheels l2. By disposing the axles i 3 in the recesses 56, it can be seen from Figure 2 that the rear end of the machine will be raised, thus tilting the blade 28 downwardly, which means that the rear of the blade will clear stubs of weeds which have already been cut or any other obstacles which may be present. Upwardly extending ears 5'? are also secured to the upper face of the longitudinal channels l8 above the recesses 56, and each of the ears 5? is provided with an arcuate slot 58. Obviously, by disposing the axle IS in the slot 58, the frame II] will assume a substantially horizontal position, whereby the blade 28 may be employed for mowing grass. The conversion of the machine from a grass mowing position to that for cutting weeds is a very simple alteration and can be accomplished in a minimum of time.

To move the machine for cutting or mowing purposes, I provide a handle assembly 59. As shown in Figure 3, the handle 59 includes a tubular portion 60 which is pivotally mounted at its inner end to the frame, as shown at BI, and extends upwardly at an angle thereto. The tubular member 6!! terminates in a horizontally extending element 62 and may be provided with a hand grip or the like $3. A second tubular member 64 which is in parallel relationship to the tubular member 65 is also pivoted to the frame, as shown at 65, and the member '35 is inclined inwardly a substantial distance, as shown at 66, and then terminates in a horizontally extending portion 61 which is also parallel to the portion 62 and is provided with a hand grip 68. A cross brace 69 extends between the portions 62 and 61 for reinforcing purposes, By providing the tubular member 64- at the left hand side of the machine with the inwardly inclined portion 66, it is apparent that the operator may mow very close to a fence or other obstacles without any danger of injury to his hand, This arrangement thus enables the machine to mow within an inch of the fence and the efficacy thereof is thought readily apparent.

The operation of the machine is thought to be clear from the foregoing description, but it should be mentioned that when cutting weeds the runner or shoe 39 provided on the right hand side of the machine is removed by detaching the runner from the sleeves 42 and 48. This is done so that the Weeds may be thrown to the right and thereby clear the machine and, as above indicated, any large Weeds are prevented from being discharged onto the machine or operator by the rod 5| which will guide such weeds to the right hand side of the machine.

The angular position of the handle assembly 59 may be changed and, to accomplish this end, it will be noted that an adjusting bar provided with a plurality of spaced apertures is secured to the rear end of the outermost longitudinally extending channels I0 by a nut and bolt assembly 1| and the operation of this arrangement is believed obvious.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that I have provided a mowing machine which may be readily converted from use in mowing lawns or the like to a position whereby weeds may be readily cut and deposited to one side of the machine. By virtue of the particular structural details of the handles and more particularly that handle portion along the left side of the machine, the operator may out very closely to any obstacles, such as fences, without injury to his hand and, under actual working conditions, it is possible to mow within an inch of any obstacles. In addition, the provision of the guard at the forward end of the machine protects the mandrel from becoming entangled with the cut Weeds, and the guiding bar extending laterally of the machine from one of the runners will also prevent large weeds from being deposited on the working parts ofthe machine or onto the operator. The machine includes relatively few essential parts and by conventionally mounting the motor, not shown, so that it has limited forward and backward movement, the drive belt between the motor and the mandrel may always be maintained under proper operating conditions.

I claim:

1. In a mowing machine of the type having a wheeled frame, a cutting blade supported by the frame for rotation about a vertical axis and means to impart rotary movement to the blade, the improvement comprising a substantially U-shaped shield secured to the frame and extending forwardly of the cutting blade support, and a guard attached to one of the sides of said U-shaped frame spaced from and in parallel relationship to said side to protect the cutting blade the outer end of the guard being located rearwardly of the front of the U-shaped shield.

2. In a mowing machine of the type having a wheeled frame, a cutting blade supported by the frame for rotation about a vertical axis and means to impart rotary movement to the blade, the improvement comprising a substantially U-shaped shield secured to the frame and extending forwardly of the cutting blade support, at least one vertically disposed sleeve secured to each of the side walls of the shield, a pair of runners adapted to be located at each side of the shield, a support on each of the runners adapted to extend into said sleeve, and means to secure said supports to the sleeves.

3. A mowing machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein a guide bar is secured to one of said runners and extends transversely of the machine and terminates beyond the opposite runner for guiding cut weeds to one side of the machine.

4. In a mowing machine of the type having a wheeled frame, a cutting blade supported by the frame for rotation about a vertical axis and means to rotate the blade, the improvement comprising a substantially U-shaped shield secured to the frame and extending forwardly of the cutting blade support, a pair of vertically disposed sleeves secured to each of the side walls of the shield, a pair of runners each of which is adapted to have its free ends extend into said sleeves, and means to secure the free ends to the sleeves.

5. A mowing machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein a guard is secured to the sleeves on one side of said shield whereby said guard will be spaced from and in parallel relation to said side to protect the cutting blade.

6. In a mowing machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein a pair of upwardly extending handle members are secured to the frame, one of said handles being a straight member terminating in a grip portion at the free end and the other of said handle members extending inwardly of the frame at an angle and terminating in a grip portion arranged in parallel relationship to said first named grip portion whereby the last mentioned handle member is located a substantial distance inwardly of the frame.

7. In a mowing machine of the type having a wheeled frame, a cutting blade supported by the frame for rotation about a vertical axis and means to rotate the blade, the improvement comprising a substantially U-shaped shield secured to the frame and extending forwardly of the cutting blade support, a pair of vertically disposed sleeves secured to each side of said shield, a pair of runners, each free end of each runner being adapted to extend into said sleeves, means to secure the free ends of said runners in said sleeves, a guard adapted to be secured to the sleeves on one of said sides in spaced parallel relation to said side to protect the cutting blade, a pair of spaced upwardly extending handle members attached to the opposite end of the frame, and the said member on the side of the machine on which the guard is secured to the side of the shield being so formed that the free end thereof is spaced a substantial distance inwardly of the machine and in parallel relation to the free end of the other of said upwardly extending handle members.

8. A mowing machine as claimed in claim 7 wherein a guide bar is secured to one of said runners and extends transversely of the machine and terminates adjacent the opposite runner to uide out weeds to one side of the machine.

RAYMOND CARTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 384,787 Richards June 19, 1888 1,135,071 Swanson Apr. 13, 1915 2,216,313 Fulton Oct. 1, 1940 2,281,639 Swan May 5, 1942 2,359,358 Dielschneider Oct. 3, 1944 2,466,620 Swift et al Apr. 5, 1949 2,472,414 Geater June 7, 1949 

